2010 GMC ACADIA Owner's Manual

Instruments and Controls 5-11
Instrument Cluster
United States version shown, Canada similar

5-12 Instruments and Controls
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in both kilometers
per hour (km/h) and miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper-resistant
odometer. If the vehicle needs a
new odometer installed, the new
one is set to the mileage of the old
odometer. If this is not possible, it is
set at zero and a label is put on the
driver's door to show the old
mileage reading.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Fuel Gage
United StatesCanada
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gage shows how much fuel is left in
the tank.
An arrow in the fuel gage indicates
the side of the vehicle the fuel door
is on.
The gage will first indicate empty
before the vehicle is out of fuel, the
vehicle's fuel tank should be
filled soon.
When the fuel tank is low on fuel,
the FUEL LEVEL LOW message will
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). For more information
see Fuel System Messages
on
page 5‑38. Here are some situations that may
occur with the fuel gage. None of
these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
.At the gas station, the fuel pump
shuts off before the gage
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the fuel gage
indicated. For example, the gage
may have indicated the tank was
half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the
tank's capacity to fill the tank.
.The gage goes back to empty
when the ignition is turned off.

Instruments and Controls 5-13
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
United StatesCanada
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature. Under normal driving
conditions the gage will read
approximately 100 °C (210°F) or
less. If the gage pointer is near
125 °C (260°F), the engine is
too hot.
It means that the engine coolant has
overheated. If the vehicle has been
operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating
on
page 10‑19for more information.
Voltmeter Gage
When the engine is not running, but
the ignition is turned on, this gage
shows the battery's state of charge
in DC volts.
When the engine is running, this
gage shows the condition of the
charging system. The vehicle's
charging system regulates voltage
based on the state of charge of the
battery. The voltmeter may fluctuate.
This is normal. Readings between
the low and high warning zones
indicate the normal operating range.
Readings in the low warning zone
may occur when a large number of
electrical accessories are operating
in the vehicle and the engine is left
idling for an extended period. If there is a problem with the battery
charging system, a SERVICE
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM
message will appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) and/or the
charging system light comes on.
See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages
on page 5‑35for more
information.
However, readings in either warning
zone may indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system.
Have the vehicle serviced as soon
as possible.

5-14 Instruments and Controls
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
The driver safety belt reminder light
on the instrument panel cluster.
When the engine is started this light
and the chime come on and stay on
for several seconds to remind the
driver to fasten the safety belt. The
light also begins to flash.
This cycle repeats if the driver
remains unbuckled and the vehicle
is moving.
If the driver safety belt is already
buckled, neither the light nor chime
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
When the engine is started this light
and the chime come on and stay on
for several seconds to remind the
passenger to fasten their safety belt.
The light also begins to flash.
This only occurs if the passenger
airbag is enabled. SeePassenger
Sensing System
on page 3‑38for
more information.
This cycle repeats if the passenger
remains unbuckled and the vehicle
is moving.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem. The system
check includes the airbag sensor,
the pretensioners, the airbag
modules, the wiring and the crash
sensing and diagnostic module. For
more information on the airbag
system, see
Airbag System
on
page 3‑30.
This light will come on and stay on
for several seconds when the
vehicle is started. Then the light
should go out.

Instruments and Controls 5-15
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle has been started or
comes on when while driving, the
airbag system may not work
properly. Have the vehicle serviced
right away.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System
on page 3‑38for
important safety information. The
instrument panel has a passenger
airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. If you are using
remote start to start the vehicle from
a distance, if equipped, you may not
see the system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol to let
you know the status of the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal airbag.

5-16 Instruments and Controls
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer/retailer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light
on page 5‑14for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer/retailer. Driving while this
light is on could drain the battery.
When this light comes on, the Driver
Information Center (DIC) also
displays the SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM message.
See Vehicle Messages
on
page 5‑34for more information. If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light comes on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer/
retailer.

Instruments and Controls 5-17
If the check engine light comes on
and stays on, while the engine is
running, this indicates that there is
an OBD II problem and service is
required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, after a while, the emission
controls might not work as well,
the vehicle's fuel economy might
not be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly. This
could lead to costly repairs that
might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications
on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer/retailer for service as
soon as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
An emission system malfunction
might be corrected.
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tankon
page 9‑42. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.

5-18 Instruments and Controls
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.If the vehicle has been driven
through a deep puddle of water,
the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition is
usually corrected when the
electrical system dries out. A few
driving trips should turn the
light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.See
Gasoline Specifications
on
page 9‑40.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer/retailer can
check the vehicle. The dealer/
retailer has the proper test
equipment and diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that might have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments have or might begin
programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on the vehicle.
Failure to pass this inspection could
prevent getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things to know to
help the vehicle pass an inspection:
.The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the check engine
light is on with the engine
running, or if the key is in ON/
RUN and the light is not on.
.The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the OBD II
(on-board diagnostic) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer/
retailer can prepare the vehicle
for inspection.